What are the requirements for Admission?
The program is highly selective and individualized. Approximately five students will be admitted each year. Students admitted to the PhD program will be expected to have completed a Master's degree in a related field including but not exclusively urban planning, architecture, historic preservation or landscape architecture. Students are expected to enter the PhD program with two semesters of graduate level quantitative research methods. These courses can be taken after entrance to the program and prior to their advanced methods course.
How is the program structured? How long does it take to complete a PhD?
The PhD program in Urban and Regional Planning and Design is a 39-credit program. Adequately prepared students will generally need four semesters of formal coursework leading to comprehensive exams and all students are expected to spend a minimum of two years in residence in College Park. The coursework part of the program is designed as a two-year full-time program. Students conduct their field research and write their dissertations away from campus. Throughout the PhD process, students work closely with a faculty mentor that specializes in a field matched with the student’s concentration.
What is the deadline for application?
The deadline for application to the PhD in Urban and Regional Planning and Design is January 15.
What kind of funding does the school provide?
Funding directly from the PhD program is typically limited to 1-3 students each year. Depending on the student’s educational background and research interests, additional financial support may be available teaching opportunities in master’s programs and through faculty research projects throughout the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, including the School’s various centers.
Current minimum stipend rates can be found on The Graduate School website. Students may receive 5 credits of tuition assistance per semester (10-hour graduate assistantship) or 10 credits of tuition assistance per semester (20-hour graduate assistantship). Non-semester tuition assistance rates (Summer and Winter) and other policies related to tuition for graduate assistantships can be found on the University Human Resources website.